NM still struggling to lower teen pregnancy rates

ALBUQUERQUE - The bridal and quinceanera salon in the heart of Albuquerque's South Valley is closed for the evening, but a small group of parents and teens gathers there.

They munch on sandwiches and chips while Jessica Salas, a promotora, or community health educator, stands in front of big flipboards of the human anatomy.

"Can any of you tell me what is the 100-percent effective way to not become pregnant or get a sexually transmitted disease?" Salas says.

A girl raises her hand and says: "Staying abstinent." Salas nods, before launching into a list of other birth control methods.

This is a home health party, a gathering put on by the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition to talk to parents and teens about anatomy, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and communication.

It's no accident that the meeting is held in this part of town. The area where the salon is located - Isleta and Goff Boulevards SW - has one of the highest teen birth rates in the Albuquerque area.

There were an annual average of 89 live births per 1,000 teen women who live in that neighborhood between 2005 and 2009, according to a map created by the New Mexico Data Collaborative, a project that provides detailed mapping of health and social issues at the neighborhood level. That's almost three times the national average.

Using Department of Health vital statistics, the map shows hot spots scattered throughout the city with high teen birth rates.

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"What that map is telling us, in some parts of Albuquerque, the teen birth rate is much higher than the national average and much higher than the state average," said Peter Winograd, director of the Center for Education Policy Research at UNM. "It's widespread enough for this to be an issue for our city to discuss."

Having a baby as a teen makes it more difficult for both young moms and dads to finish their education, compete for good jobs and give the best health care and opportunities to their babies, experts say.

Although the South Valley did not have the highest teen birth rate in the metro area, babies born there are at the highest risk in the city for late pre-natal care, low birth weight and poverty, based on Department of Health data compiled by Winograd. In 2011, it was served by only one high-quality child care program, one city of Albuquerque pre-school and four Head Start programs.

"As we think about trying to improve education and student success for all of our kids, one of the things there's strong agreement on is the importance of maternal health and early childhood education and health care," Winograd said.

It's especially important in New Mexico, where the teen birth rate is the second highest in the nation, with 53 births per 1,000 teenagers ages 15-19. The national average was 34.2 births per 1,000 teens, according to the most recent numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Fertility rates in New Mexico trended down by 5.3 percent for women ages 15-17 and up by 2.5 percent for women ages 18-19 between 2000 and 2009, according to the New Mexico Data Collaborative.

The data for Albuquerque shows a clear correlation: Areas with high teen birth rates also have high poverty rates and low high school graduation rates among mothers.

"What is so important from the research is a mother's education level is such a strong predictor of a child's education level," Winograd said. "On the other hand, if a mother doesn't have a high school education and is struggling to make ends meet, it's very important that there be support."

For instance, the home health party is held in a neighborhood where nearly one-quarter of families live in poverty, the third-highest in the city. The percentage of mothers with no high school diploma is also high, at about 44 percent.

The highest teen birth rate in the city of Albuquerque is in the southeast neighborhood in the International District. There were an annual average 122 live births for every 1,000 teen women from 2005 to 2009.

That area also has the city's highest poverty rate - about one-third of families live in poverty - and the highest percentage of mothers with no high school diploma, at nearly 50 percent.

Ashley Aragon, 19, learned she was pregnant when she was a senior at Atrisco Heritage High School. Her mom, who had two kids while in high school, insisted that she graduate.

"She just told me I have to push through and finish school," Aragon said. "Pregnancy is not an excuse to drop out. My mom did it while she graduated high school pregnant. There's no excuse to not go."

She's put her plans to go to Central New Mexico Community College on hold for one semester while she cares for baby Shawn, but expects to start in January to study cosmetology. She lives with her parents and her husband, the baby's father. He helps her care for Shawn.

Not everyone has help from their families.

"There are some young people who do OK," said Sylvia Ruiz, executive director of the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition. "With the proper support, child care, support for continuing your education, cash assistance, food stamps, housing, then, yes, young people can do OK."

She continued: "The majority of people we work with who have these risk factors don't have that. They don't have an extended family, grandparents who can step in and baby-sit and teach the young person about colic in an infant, or an immunization schedule or a well-child exam. That's the population we're concerned about."

More programs are now targeting young fathers as well as mothers, Ruiz said. Teen mothers living apart from the father of their child report that half of the dads met with their child in the past month, and among those who did, about half visited at least weekly, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

Ruiz said there are proven strategies to prevent teen pregnancy.

"It's no secret," Ruiz said. "They are male involvement, comprehensive sex ed in the schools, confidential clinic services, service learning programs, and programs that teach parents to talk to their adolescents about reproductive health."

In New Mexico public schools, the state Health Education Content Standards requires abstinence education in second through 12th grade. Abstinence education is still the core during comprehensive health education in middle and high school, but other forms of birth control are also discussed.

"When we talk about ways to prevent teen pregnancy, a lot of that education is focused on healthy relationships, decision-making and consequences of those decisions," said Kris Meurer, director of student, family and community supports at Albuquerque Public Schools.

The home health parties held by the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition are part of a program called Hablando Claro, developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, to teach parents to talk with their teens about sex.

The party in the South Valley starts with a pre-test where the participants are asked questions about anatomy and birth control. Over the course of the next few hours, promotoras Jessica Salas and Enriqueta Benitez give a presentation in both Spanish and English.

The subject matter is sensitive, so participants are asked to sign a consent form before they begin.

The gatherings follow a Tupperware party format and are usually held in homes - or other places where people will feel comfortable - and with food.

There were a few awkward giggles, especially during the birth control section. But as the session went on, participants began to feel more comfortable asking questions.

Fabiola Marquez, who requested the party, had her first child as a teenager. Now 39, she doesn't want her three teenage boys or 8-year-old daughter to follow her path.

"It's a commitment you have for the remainder of your life," she said in Spanish. "It changes your life. It changes your adolescence, it changes your education, everything."

If she had not had a child so young, Marquez said she would have enjoyed life more, been more adventurous, and gone to college. Now, she talks to her 19-year-old son about protection, sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.